Improvement in peat-compressing machines



r V 2 Sheets--Sheet I.

D. TOWNSEND.

Peat Compressing Machines.

N0.157,466, Patented Dec.8,1874.

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Peat Compressing Machines. No 157 466. Patented Dec-8,1874.

WITNESSES YHE GRAPHIC C0. PHOTO LZTHJQSI 4| PARK PLACE N Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

".DAVID TOWNSEND, or CLINTON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEAT-COMPRESSING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,466, dated December 8, 1874; application filed August 25, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID TowNsEND, of Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Compressing Peat; and. I-do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference of which connects with the crank, and the lower end connects with a piston, H. F and G are lever-arms, the inner ends of which are connected by atoggle-joint, S, and are attached to the upper end of the piston. The back end of arm F is hinged or pivoted to the frame A, and the forward end of arm G is connected, by a toggle-joint, to plungers I, which are arranged to slide between guides H, and in the openings J J in the dies. K represents hoppers to receive the peat, and L represents the dies provided with the openings J J, and made in upper and lower halves, and rendered adjustable by means of a lever, M, provided with a weight, N. The lever is attached to a support, 0, which passes through the lower half of the die, and is fastened to the upper half of the die, and the short end of the lever bears against a fulcrum, d, attached to the lower half of the die, as shown in the drawings. Springs instead of the lever and weight may be used to adjust the dies.

The peat, placed in the hoppers, drops to the bott0m,and, by the plungers, is forced into the openings in the dies and compressed into a size and shape convenient for transportation and use. The dies are made adjustable to avoid the liability of breaking them or other portions of the machinery by too great pressure on the plungers.

It will be observed that, in the operation of the machine, as the arms F and G approximate a straight line, the compressing power of the machine increases, and the greatest power is obtained at the point where the greatest force is required.

This machine is constructed to be operated by steam applied to the oscillating cylinder, but it may be operated by hand or by any other power applied in any well-known manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for compressing peat, the dies L in halves, constructed and arranged to automatically adjust themselves by means of mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The dies L, as constructed in combination with lever M and weight N, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the oscillating cylinder C, piston H, arms F G, plunger 1, and dies L, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In combination with dies L, the toggle levers or arms F G and plunger I, adapted to connect with and be operated by either pitman E or piston H by mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID TOWNSEND.

Witnesses:

W. W. SANBORN, W. F. HoYT. 

